February 2012
5th - Social Studies/Math
In social studies we will be studying the Declarationn of Independence, The start of the American Revolution and why we began breaking ties with Great Britain. We will also learn about the contributions that people made during this time period such as George Washington, John Hancock and Thomas Paine to name a few. In math we will be concentrating on fractions, decimals and percents. We will also introduce mixed numbers and improper fractions.
5th - Reading/L.A. & Science
In Reading/Language Arts, the students are reading Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. We are continuing to develop specific comprehension skills by analyzing and interpreting literature through the eyes of the writer. We are going beyond the scope of "who, what, when, and where," and working to identify the "how" and "why" as we read this novel. As we discuss more abstract concepts, the students are making predictions, inferring details, and drawing conclusions. They are determining the author's purpose and the theme, as well as developing an understanding of figurative language.
In Science, we will continue to study our unit on energy. Students are taking an in depth look at solar energy and discover the many uses for energy provided by the sun, as well as what light is and how it reaches the earth.
